Arch Linux

dsch

Member

Registered: 2015-10-05

Posts: 36

[SOLVED] Clarification on meta-packages

Hello,

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this question, so moderators feel free to move my post to the correct topic if necessary.

I've read this: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Package_group but I would like to clarify that I correctly understand the following:
Let's say, I've installed a meta-package, which of course has installed all of the packages contained in it, and then I decide that I don't want all the apps in this meta-package.

Can I remove that meta-package with

pacman -R meta-package

and then remove all the apps that I don't want with

pacman -Rs package

Last edited by dsch (2019-07-28 12:27:03)

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 11,539

Re: [SOLVED] Clarification on meta-packages

You can, but the packages installed by the metapackage are installed as dependencies. You'll want to use pacman -D to set them as explicitly installed if you want to keep them. Otherwise they could get removed when you remove something else with -Rs.

dsch

Member

Registered: 2015-10-05

Posts: 36

Re: [SOLVED] Clarification on meta-packages

Thanks for the answer @Scimmia, so for each package in the meta, I need to do:

pacman -D --asexplicit package

I've never used that and I am not sure how it works.
The man says:

-D, --database
           Operate on the package database. This operation allows you to modify certain attributes of the installed packages in pacman’s database. It also allows you to check the databases for internal consistency. See Database Options
           below.

I am not sure I understand that.

Last edited by dsch (2019-07-28 00:33:38)

Lone_Wolf

Member

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 11,910

Re: [SOLVED] Clarification on meta-packages

so for each package in the meta that i want to keep, I need to do:

added by me

install reason is an attribute each installed package has in pacman's database.
You can change it by using pacman -S --asexplicit   , but this causes a re-install.
Using the --database operation to change only the attribute is simpler & cleaner.

Last edited by Lone_Wolf (2019-07-28 12:09:00)

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Trilby

Inspector Parrot

Registered: 2011-11-29

Posts: 29,514

Website

Re: [SOLVED] Clarification on meta-packages

In summary, the cleanest approach is two commands:

pacman -D --asexplicit $pkg1_to_keep $pkg2_to_keep $pk3_to_keep ...
pacman -Rsn $meta_package

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"UNIX is simple and coherent..." - Dennis Ritchie, "GNU's Not UNIX" -  Richard Stallman

dsch

Member

Registered: 2015-10-05

Posts: 36

Re: [SOLVED] Clarification on meta-packages

Thank you all for your help!